Quick Release & Thru Axles

Quick releases and thru-axles allow for easy mounting and dismounting of wheels. Quick releases offer tool-free attachment, ideal for road bikes and mountain bikes. Thru-axles provide greater stiffness and security, especially with disc brakes. Find the right system for your bike – for improved performance and more stability!

Quick Release or Thru-Axle? The Right Choice for Your Bike

Whether you need a thru-axle or a quick release for your bike is determined by your frame or fork. More precisely: their dropouts. These are the mounts for the wheels, and they are shaped differently depending on the system. Here you will find everything you need to know about both variants.

Quick Release: The Reliable Classic

Previously, both road bikes and mountain bikes used quick releases, a system that has proven itself for almost a hundred years. Quick releases (also called QR) are clamping anchors, usually 5 mm in diameter, which are guided through a hollow axle inside the hub. Using an eccentric lever and a locknut, a clamping tension is generated, which fixes the hub. This allows the wheel to be removed and reinstalled in a flash.

Frames and forks for quick releases can usually be recognized by their dropouts, which are open at the bottom. You will still find them especially on road bikes with rim brakes.

A Guarantee for Stability: The Thru-Axle

However, if suspension forks or disc brakes are used, thru-axles (also called TA) are now almost always employed. The reason: In these cases, significantly stronger forces act on the axle, so a stiffer connection between the wheel and the bike is needed. You will therefore no longer find mountain bikes with classic quick releases, and since disc brakes have also become established on road bikes, the quick release is also in retreat here.

Frames and forks for thru-axles have closed dropouts with a thread on one side. The axle is inserted through the non-threaded side and then screwed into the thread on the other side. This creates a more torsion-resistant connection between your wheel and the frame than quick releases can provide. The larger diameter of the thru-axles also gives you additional stability.

Most thru-axles have a lever for mounting, meaning they also do not require tools and can be released just as quickly as quick releases in the event of a flat tire on the trail. For city bikes, which are often parked on the street, there are also variants with special tools or removable levers to make them theft-proof.

Compatibility: What to Look for When Buying a Thru-Axle

Perhaps the only disadvantage of the thru-axle's triumph is that mounting standards have become somewhat more complicated. Unfortunately, adapter solutions only help partially. To help you find your way around, we have compiled what you need to look out for.

Diameter and Thread

The thru-axle must fit the mount on your frame or fork. For this, you need the correct diameter and thread pitch. You should find this information in the specifications of your frame/fork – or on your old axle. They are very often printed there. Here are some typical measurements as examples. The first number always describes the diameter of the axle, the second the thread pitch (given in millimeters):

Hub Spacing: Boost or Non-Boost?

The third important measurement you should know is the hub spacing. This refers to the space provided for the hub on the inside of the fork or the rear stays. It is often given along with the axle diameter, with the diameter being the first number and the hub spacing the second, e.g.:

12 x 142 mm

At the front, the hub spacing is usually 100 or 110 millimeters, and at the rear wheel, it ranges from 130 to 157 millimeters in extreme cases. These differences have ultimately emerged due to technical developments over the last fifteen years or so. Especially the trend towards ever wider tires has led to the need to lengthen the hubs to keep the wheels stable under lateral load and to create the necessary space for tire clearance. Ten millimeters were added at the front, and six or even fifteen at the rear. This increase is referred to as Boost or Superboost; the classic dimensions have since been referred to as Non-Boost in distinction.

Here is an overview of the different axle standards for road bikes and mountain bikes:

Effective Axle Length

You will often find – especially for rear axles – the effective axle length specified. This value is always greater than the hub spacing, as the axle must extend through both mounts of the frame. The effective length of a thru-axle is measured from the collar that rests on the outside of the frame – i.e., without the axle head.

Your New Thru-Axle

Now nothing should stand in the way of your purchase. We currently have thru-axles from DT SWISS, SRAM, and ROCKSHOX. Take a look around! We look forward to packing your axle package.